


Rites of Spring

by PaintingWithWords (paint_with_words)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Gen, Illustrated, M/M, Romance, Seasons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-02 13:36:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14545866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paint_with_words/pseuds/PaintingWithWords
Summary: Yuuri kept watch through the long, dark months that Viktor travelled the earth, bringing the stark beauty of Winter wherever he went.  Where Viktor wandered, Winter’s frozen grip took hold of the land.  Snow settled in his wake.  People huddled close together around fires, telling each other tales to ward off the long nights and the bitter cold.  Rivers froze over.  Bare trees were encased in ice, glittering like diamonds in the pale, weak light.  The world fell silent and dormant under Viktor’s touch, a brief and necessary slumber to prepare for the renewal of life that Yuuri’s arrival would bring.Finally, at long last, it was time for Yuuri to set foot on the earth again, but it was also time for his beloved to depart.  Today was the equinox, the only day that both Winter and Spring could walk the earth together.A tale in which Yuuri and Viktor are seasons. Yuuri is Spring and Viktor is Winter.





	Rites of Spring

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pikka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pikka/gifts).



> Written for [Live and Love Big Bang](https://liveloveyoibang.tumblr.com/). We're doing smaller prompts at the moment, bings rather than bangs, to help us warm up for the main event. My group worked with the prompts "fantasy" and "romance". The beautiful art was done by the wonderful [Pikka](https://pikkart.tumblr.com). Thank you so much for a great collaboration! Also, many thanks to [fromstarlighttodust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fromstarlighttodust/works) for the awesome beta!
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/fromstarlighttodust/works
> 
> You can read more bings and see more wonderful art [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/liveloveyoibing). 
> 
> Comments are gold...

Yuuri kept watch through the long, dark months that Viktor travelled the earth, bringing the stark beauty of Winter wherever he went.  Where Viktor wandered, Winter’s frozen grip took hold of the land.  Snow settled in his wake.  People huddled close together around fires, telling each other tales to ward off the long nights and the bitter cold.  Rivers froze over.  Bare trees were encased in ice, glittering like diamonds in the pale, weak light.  The world fell silent and dormant under Viktor’s touch, a brief and necessary slumber to prepare for the renewal of life that Yuuri’s arrival would bring.

Finally, at long last, it was time for Yuuri to set foot on the earth again, but it was also time for his beloved to depart.  Winter and Spring could walk the earth together only on the equinox.

Yuuri had eagerly anticipated seeing his lover again and had sent small gifts to Viktor to let him know he loved him.  He brought forth young buds on trees, knowing Viktor would wrap them in ice and cherish them as tokens of Yuuri’s affection.  Yuuri blew softly over a field and a patch of early flowers bloomed, only to be covered in a thin rime of frost when Viktor bent to touch them. 

People saw these signs and said it would be an early Spring.  Yuuri smiled.  If only they knew.

Viktor would do the same, sending Yuuri little gifts to let him know he was watching him and missed him when Yuuri was the one that walked over the world.  He showed his love in late season snowfalls cascading over sakuras, or in the sudden freeze that formed a fragile crust of ice around the edges of a pond.  Yuuri treasured them all, knowing that these wonders would melt under his touch and were all the more precious for their transience.

People fretted and fussed about the sudden cold snaps, saying Old Man Winter had overstayed his welcome.  Yuuri would need to talk to Yuri about his joke when they met at the solstice.  Viktor was many things, but he was hardly an “old man”. 

Smiling, Yuuri set foot on the earth.  Delicate flowers blossomed beneath his bare feet, marking his passage.  He walked towards the woods where he knew his love would meet him.  The forest was itself a shrine, as holy as any circle of standing stones or temple or church.  Snow dusted the branches of the evergreens, but melted and slipped to the ground as he passed. 

Through the trees, Yuuri could see a pale shape moving towards him.  With a joyous laugh, Yuuri ran forward, knowing that it was none other than his beloved Viktor, coming to meet him.  They reached the clearing together and embraced, then pulled just far enough apart to look at one another.

Viktor was dressed as he always was, in supple white leathers, with the thick pelt of a grey wolf thrown over his shoulders.  Droplets of dew were frozen in the fur, shining like diamonds.  His long silver hair cascaded around him, the only crown he needed.  Yuuri reached out and pushed a strand of Viktor’s hair out of his face, his fingers caressing Viktor’s cheek.

Viktor smiled and lifted his hand to stroke Yuuri’s dark hair back from his face, gazing at him with his vibrant blue eyes.  Some said Viktor’s eyes were the color of the ice found deep in the heart of a glacier.  But to Yuuri, his beloved had eyes the hue of a robin’s egg, full of wonder and promise. 

He took both of Viktor’s chilled hands in his and blew gently against them, warming them.

“I missed you,” Yuuri said, placing little kisses on the tips of Viktor’s fingers before letting them go.

“I missed you as well,” Viktor replied, softly stroking Yuuri’s face.  “It’s good to be with you again, my love.” 

Yuuri took Viktor’s hand in his and began to walk forward, urging Viktor to join him. 

They spent the day walking together, hand in hand, through the forest, content just to spend time in one another’s presence.  Cool winds chased after Viktor, as did the occasional flurry of snowflakes.  Birds entered the wood and sang as Yuuri passed.  Slowly, the sun sank below the horizon, casting long, cool shadows into the forest.  As the moon rose, they came to a small clearing and a bed of soft moss.  Yuuri turned to look at his beloved and gave him a knowing smile.  Quietly, he led Viktor to sit down beside him, held his face between his hands, and leaned in to kiss him.

Yuuri nipped at the hinge of Viktor’s jaw as he pushed the wolf pelt off of his shoulders and over the moss.  He placed his hand on Viktor’s shoulder and gently pushed him down, guiding him to lie back on the pelt.  Slowly, Yuuri ran his hands over the leathers Viktor wore, and deftly began to unlace them as he claimed Viktor’s mouth with his own.  He could feel Viktor’s hands working at the fastenings of his own garments and sighed his consent into Viktor’s mouth.

In the morning, he knew Viktor would be gone.  Winter could not stay when Spring ruled the land.  Rather than lament their fate, Yuuri chose to revel in it, enjoy the time they had together.  He looked down at Viktor and smiled as his hands trailed down Viktor’s body.  Viktor turned them over and hovered over Yuuri, his hair spilling over him as they made love under the light of the moon. 

Afterwards, they held one another, curled together underneath Yuuri’s cloak.  The moon had set for the night, leaving only the stars glittering in the dark sky.  Yuuri felt sleep drifting over him and he turned to press his face into the side of Viktor’s neck as he closed his eyes.  He felt Viktor’s thumb glide over his lower lip.

“In half a year, on the other side of the world, I will see you again,” Viktor whispered against Yuuri’s ear.  “Until then, know that I love you and miss you with all my heart.”  He felt Viktor’s lips brush against his own and he held him close, not wanting to let him go.  Viktor pulled Yuuri into his arms and held him as he fell asleep, lulled by the soft beat of Viktor’s heart.

In the morning, Yuuri sat up and pulled on his clothing, alone on the bed of moss.  A few snow flurries danced down from the sky, melting as they fell on his lashes, and Yuuri smiled.  Even though they were apart, their love was undeniable.  A bird landed on an icy branch and began to sing, calling for a mate, as Yuuri walked out of the forest and started his journey.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! Comments are worth their weight in gold, baby!


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